Feeding apparatus for fibrous material



NOV. 15, 1960 3, BLACK E 2,960,212

FEEDING APPARATUS FOR FIBROUS MATERIAL I Filed may 8, 195'? a Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 15, 1960 H. G. BLACK ETA].

FEEDING APPARATUS FOR FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed May 8, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 15, 1960 H. G. BLACK ETAL. 2,960,212

FEEDING APPARATUS FOR FIBROUS MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 8,

' FEEDING APPARATUS FOR FIBROUS MATERIAL Harold G. Black, Spartanburg, S.C., and Burton A.

Arnaiz, Abington, and Herbert C. Scheufele, Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to The Proctor-Silex Corporation, a corporation of Connecticut Filed May 8, 1957, Ser. No. 657,868

1 Claim. (Cl. 198-204) The present invention relates to apparatus for handling fibrous stock, and more particularly to feed apparatus used in conjunction with conventional stock drying means. The invention has particular utility in feeding wet fibrous textile material which is susceptible to felting when subjected to rubbing action in the wet state.

In conventional feeding apparatus of this type, the conveyor feed aprons are mounted in enclosed housings. During the operation of the apparatus, the wet fibrous material travels or migrates beyond the side edges of the conveyor feed aprons and becomes deposited in the space between the conveyor apron and the housing, or on the driving elements of the conveyor apron. Continued operation of the apparatus subjects the wet fibrous material to a rubbing action which causes the fibres to felt or become matted and form fibre bundles. These bundles Work their way into the drive means, frequently becoming entangled in the drive chains. In severe cases, the accumulation of fibre bundles on the drive sprockets and drive chains causes the chain to jump and may break the .chain or the sprocket and thus damage the conveyor apron. To overcome the ill effects of the migration of the fibres, cleanout holes are provided in the housing at the points where the fibres tend to accumulate. Nevertheless, to clean out the apparatus, it is necessary to stop the apparatus and remove the fibre bundles. With inexperienced operators, this is often neglected and damage results.

With the foregoing in mind, a primary object of the present invention is to provide novel stock feeding apparatus which is of simplified construction and affords continuous removal of the migrating stock without shut-down of the equipment.

More particularly, the invention contemplates a housing which is open along the side edges of the conveyor apron for ready removal of the transient fibers which travel to the side edges of the conveyor.

The invention also provides apparatus which affords simple removal and replacement of broken elements of the conveyor if they are damaged in normal operation.

All of the objects of the invention and the various features and details of the construction and operation thereof are more fully set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation with portions broken away showing stock feeding apparatus made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged View in section taken on the line 44 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 illustrates a stock feeding apparatus having a conveyor apron 11 for supplying stock to a hopper 12. The hopper 12 is provided with a hopper conveyor apron 2,960,212 Patented Nov. 15, 1960 13 for advancing the stock into contact with an upwardly moving spike apron 14. Adjacent the upper end of the spike apron 14, an oscillating hopper comb 15 operates to remove excess "material from the spike apron 14, thereby leveling and distributing the stock across the width of the spike apron 14. The apron 14 conveys the stock around the upper sprockets 16 of the conveyor 14, and the stock is removed, by a conventional beater 17 and guide chute 18 which direct the material onto a horizontal conveyor apron 19 which advances the stock to a succeeding operation such as a dryer or the like. The general arrangement of conveyors, comb, and beater, is substantially conventional, and in conventional installations, the stock on the conveyor 14 tends to accumulate about the sprockets 16 and the lower drive sprockets 20, 20 of the conveyor 14.

In accordance with the invention, means is provided to afiord continuous removal of the transient fibres before they have an opportunity to accumulate on the sprockets 16, and 20. To this end, the hopper 12 is formed with inner and outer wall panels 22 and 23 respectively. The panels are mounted adjacent the conveyor 14 by structural members 24 secured to an angle member 25 mounted on the frame of the hopper 12. The structural member 24 may be similar to that described in co-pending U.S. application, S.N. 223,840, filed April 30, 1951, and the panels 22 may be held in place on the member 24 by a snap strip 26. As shown in Fig. 2, the structural member 24 is spaced away from the conveyor 14, providing a substantial clearance space between the conveyor and the member. To prevent laterally outward movement of the mass of fibreson the conveyor 14 between the member 24 and the conveyor, a sealing strip 27 is releasably mounted on the member 24 to bridge the clearance gap between the member 24 and the conveyor 14. The sealing strip 27 is releasably mounted on the member 2-4 for removal and is adjusted to clear the slats 31 of the conveyor 14. In the operation of the conveyor 14, transient fibers of the stock carried by the conveyor 14 migrate laterally outward toward the edges of the conveyor. The sealing strip 27 blocks passage of the major portion of the fibrous stock, but a limited amount of the fibrous material may travel outwardly between adjacent slats 31 and below the sealing strip. As shown in Fig. 1, the sealing strip 27 isexposed to-the exterior of the hopper 12. Thus, the marginal portions of the apron conveyor 14 are exposed and clearly visible to the operator so that the stray transient fibers which pass beneath the sealing strip 10 may be easily removed, either manually by the operator or by an auxiliary stripping device. Thus, the transient fibres may be removed from the conveyor 14 before they have an opportunity to foul the operation of the drive means for the conveyor.

The present invention also provides for ready removal and replacement of the spiked flights of the conveyor 14. To this end, the conveyor is preferably fabricated in accordance with our co-pending application, Serial No. 657,867, filed May 8, 1957, now Patent No. 2,847,112, wherein the conveyor comprises an endless apron 30 having a series of spiked flights 31 releasably mounted thereon. The flights 31 are provided on their undersurface with slides 32 slidably engaged in guides 33 secured to the apron 30. To guard against inadvertent lateral displacement of the flights in the guides 33, bolts or other suitable fasteners 34 pass through the flights 31 and the apron 30 to releasably anchor the same. The apron 30 travels on runners 36, 36 supported on cross pieces 37 mounted on the frame of the hopper 12 as indicated at 33. Wear strips 39 are mounted on the apron 30 at opposite sides thereof to engage the runners 36, 36. The apron is advanced by a chain 40 engaged on the sprockets 16 and 20 and having links 41 secured to the apron30 and operable to travel on the runners 36, 36.

In order to remove the flights 31 of the conveyor for replacement or repair, the sealing strips 27 at one side of the hopper 12 are removed. This is easily accomplished by removing the snap strip 26, which frees the sealing strip 27 for displacement. The fasteners 34 are then released which frees the flights 31 for sliding movement laterally of the conveyor in the guide 33. The flight 31 is thereafter removed and a new or repaired flight is replaced. The fasteners are then replaced as is the sealing strip 27. If desired, the sealing strips 27, 27 at both sides of the hopper may be removed and the fasteners 34 released whereupon a new flight may be used to push the old flight through the slat guide 3 3. Thus,

in a matter of a few minutes, any slat can be easily and quickly changed.

The downwardly traveling run of the conveyor 14 is supported by a track 42 in the form of an angle member secured to the frame of the hopper 12 by means of an angle member 43 complementary to the angle member 25. The angle member 43 supports a structural member 44 similar to the member 24 which has a cover element 45 to prevent the fibres from becoming deposited within the channel of the member 44.

The housing adjacent the hopper apron conveyor 13 is constructed similarly to the housing adjacent the upwardly moving spike apron 14. To this end, inner and outer wall panels 52 and 53 are mounted on a structural member 54 mounted on the frame, for example by an angle member 55. A sealing strip '56 is mounted on the structural member, for example by a snap strip 57. A second angle member is provided at 58 to mount the drive sprockets '59 and 60 of the conveyor 13 (see Fig. 1). In the present instance, the apron conveyor 13 comprises metal piano-hinged slats 61 which travel on tracks 62, 62 mounted on cross girts 63.

In the operation of the conveyor 13, any of the fibrousmaterial which migrates laterally outward beyond the sealing strips 56, 56 is exposed to the view of the operator. The operator may therefore remove any material which accumulates on the outer marginal portion of the conveyor 13 either manually or by auxiliary stripping device. Of course, a wooden-slatted conveyor may be employed in lieu of the metal piano-hinged conveyor, in which event a conveyor construction such as described above in connection with conveyor 14, may be employed.

The delivery conveyor =19 comprises substantially conventional pianowhinged slats 65 having side guards 66 thereon. The conveyor travels on tracks 67, 67 being suppoited by rollers 68, 68. The track 67 is mounted on the side frame as indicated at 69. The side guards 66, 66 prevent to a substantial degree lateral migration of the fibres on the conveyor slats and the material is prevented from passing beyond the guards 66 by means of deflector plates 71 and sealing strips '72 respectively overlying and engaging the guards 66 as shown in Fig. 5.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been herein illustrated and described, it is not intended to limit the invention to such disclosure, but changes and modifications may be made therein and thereto within the scope of the following claim.

We claim:

Stock feeding apparatus comprising a hopper having opposite side walls, anv endless apron conveyor having upper and lower runs extending transversely across the hopper and beyond the opposite side walls thereof, each of said side walls including an elongated structural member overlying the marginal portion of said upper run and spaced upwardly from and substantially parallel to said upper run, a rigid sealing strip releasably suspended from each of said structural members and projecting into closely-spaced relation to the upper run of the conveyor inwardly of the side edges thereof, the outer marginal portions of said upper run beyond said strip being continuously exposed toafiord removal of material migrating thereto between said conveyor apron and the sealing strips and prevent pinching of the stock, continuous runners underlying and slidably supporting the marginal portions with a predetermined clearance relative to the sealing strips throughout the length of said upper run in its travel under said sealing strips, and wear elements mounted on the lower surface of the marginal portions of said apron to slide on said runners, and thereby provide support for said marginal portions during removal of the migrating material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 261,177 Smith et a1. July 18, 1882 999,515 Murrock Aug. 1, 1911 1,571,364 Bates Feb. 2, 1926 1,718,150 Hurxthal et al June 18, 1929 1,831,629 Mambourg Nov. 10, 1931 1,863,562 Cannon June 21, 1932 1,864,317 Powell June 21, 1932 2,665,795 Holwick Jan. 12, 1954 2,737,823 Smallegan Mar. 13, 1956 2,758,700 Plumb Aug. 14, 1956 

